Pages

If anyone asks about this review...just lie

Doubtless you've seen the publicity and reviews surrounding last week's release of E. Lockhart's newest book, WE WERE LIARS. Random House went all out for this one, folks. And with good reason: it's a pretty compelling summer read. The pages practically turn themselves on this one.

Take one Kennedy-esque family with a patriarch, aunts, uncles, and a passel of cousins, all wealthy, elitist, full of privilege and entitlement. Put them on their own private island in Long Island Sound each summer. Because doesn't every family do that? Take one of those young, beautiful, teenage cousins and slap some tragic and mysterious accident on her. How mysterious? Even she doesn't remember - and since she's the one narrating our story, we don't know either. Yeah, you're hooked now, aren't you?

I told you it was a page-turner. And I'll even tell you there is the nearly ubiquitous twist at the end (I can hear you now: "Ermagherd! I never saw that coming!"). I like twists. I liked this twist. But ultimately, I can say I wasn't crazy about what that twist said about the family, about society, about the whole story. Gah.

Regardless, I'm still recommending the book. Why? Because it's a good summer page turner, that's why. And any book that keeps you turning the pages because you're desperate to find out what happens next is worth recommending. Even if I didn't like the ending. Pffft.

Books I've Reviewed

Traditionally, I am not a fan of any books that try to replicate a classic author's work. I've tried them and they have all failed for me (most recently was the disaster of The Monogram Murders where a modern author tried to write Agatha...

Oh goodness. Okay, I should admit that I'm not a huge, huge, love-everything-he's-ever-written Gaiman fan. I've *liked* a lot of his work (Ocean at the End of the Lane, Coraline, etc) but have yet to really fall head over heels for him. ...

Hmph. Started off like gangbusters; well, sort of. I have a thing for boarding school/prep school books (no idea why, but there's no denying it), so I fell comfortably into the story. While I found the Lolita trope slightly eyeroll induc...